Surprise of the holiday season: Fantome Hiver Saison
The Thirsty Beagle is fully recovered and recharged from the Beer Championship Series and the Thanksgiving holiday — and has somewhat shaken off the effects of yet another Bedlam gut punch — it’s time to get some posts up on this ol’ blog!
I had the chance recently to pick up some winter/Christmas seasonals, and thought I’d share some details on one particular beer that is generating a lot of interest right now. That would be the 2012 Fantome Hiver Saison.
I’d have to classify this as one of the more unique/interesting beers I’ve had in some time. The reaction in the beer social media world has been all over the map. Like, way all over. Here are some samples of the descriptions people have handed out:
-Tastes like moss.
-It’s funky but I can’t really identify the flavors in it. It smells like dirty dishwater and tastes like I don’t know what.
-Super strange, almost smoky. I thought of peat and moss.
-Feel it’s really metallic, I feel like I’ve had a penny in mouth.
-Strong in cow patty. That’s my review.
-Oil, gasoline and burnt match take hold from the middle all the way through the finish.
And then there was this comment, which shows it’s not all bad:
-There was no gas, oil, or serious sulfurous phenols in that bottle … Hiver seemed rather tame and certainly nothing spectacular.
So, all in all, not exactly any ringing endorsements, unless you count “smells like dirty dishwater,” “super strange” or “strong in cow patty” as positive verdicts.
When I had it, I was immediately confused. I thought it tasted earthy and mossy, and certainly not like anything I could describe. For the record, I didn’t think it was terrible. I wouldn’t classify it as a beer I would rush out to grab another, but certainly wouldn’t mind sampling with four or five other beer fans to see what everyone thinks.
Regardless, several who have had it believe it is below par. So much so that some doubts have been raised about Oklahoma potentially getting a bad batch or at the least some bad bottles.
In the end, this is probably a classic case of different strokes for different folks. I’d love to hear what you think about the beer.
(Blogger’s note: This post was edited from an earlier version)
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I definitely think Oklahoma got a bad batch. My first bottle tasted so strange and to put it bluntly, terrible. It smelled of fingernail polish remover, a sign of infection, this was a drain pour. I chalked it up to a bad bottle and the yeast at the bottom getting disturbed. I tried a second bottle the next day seeing as this is so highly rated on BA and Ratebeer. Poured it carefully as to not disturb the yeast at the bottom. Same thing, terrible. None of the flavors or smells were of what was described on the beer rating sites. This is a shame, as I’m sure it’s an amazing brew otherwise if we didn’t get the stuff that had gone bad. I don’t think I’ll be trying a third bottle.